Video game awards announced

'Doom III' destroys competition from E3 convention

The eerie "Doom III" racked up the top awards from the E3 video game critics.

(CNN) -- A much-anticipated sequel has scored the biggest acclaim after the video game critics from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) unveiled their choices Tuesday.

Thousands of games were on display during the massive conference that took place in Los Angeles, California, in late May, so the independent judges undoubtedly had a difficult time trying to narrow it down.

So who came out on top?

"Doom III," which generated plenty of buzz during the show, could easily be called the overall winner since it racked up several awards.

Not only did this sequel to the popular first-person shooter "Doom" get Best of Show, but it also garnered awards for the best PC game, the best action game and earned a couple of special commendations for its outstanding graphics and sound design. One game critic said the presentation literally rocked the theater.

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The soundtrack for "Doom III" actually comes from musician Trent Reznor, the frontman for the band Nine Inch Nails and a longtime fan of the series. "Doom III" is slated to be released sometime in 2003.

Of course the console wars were big news at E3 -- the three-way battle between Microsoft's Xbox, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube -- and each company shared in the winnings.

Microsoft got a nod for the best original game for its Xbox with "Psychonauts." It's a rather unique title about a character named Raz, a clever kid who goes to psychic summer camp to shape his psychic abilities. He then manages to control people's minds in a scenario that evokes a combination of Stephen King's mind-bending "Firestarter" and the mutant X-Men. It should hit store shelves next spring.

Multiple categories

In other console news, Nintendo received an award for the best console game with a title that's familiar to many gamers: "The Legend of Zelda."

The latest version of this game will feature a technique called cel-shading that gives the game a cartoon feel. It's been used before in other video games but may be new to many people. "The Legend of Zelda" will be released on the GameCube early next year.

Best console game winner "The Legend of Zelda" will be released on Nintendo's GameCube early next year.

A notable runner-up in the best console game category is "The Getaway," an intense crime/action/driving game that's targeted for Sony's PlayStation 2. It will feature more than five hours of driving through the streets of virtual London.

Other award recipients include "The Sims Online," which won for the best simulation game (PC), "Star Wars Galaxies," which grabbed an award for the best online multiplayer game (PC), and "Neverwinter Nights," which got the distinction of being called the best role-playing game (PC) -- the latter is expected on store shelves very soon.

The popular sports, fighting and racing games weren't forgotten either: Sega's "NFL 2K3" won for the best sports game (multiple platforms), "Tekken 4" was dubbed the best fighting game (PlayStation 2) and "Auto Modellista" earned the honor of best racing game (PlayStation 2).